Karen brings a bold approach to providing exposure for topical themes in policing as well as tackling the misconceptions around positive action, inclusion and increasing diversity. Bringing her in-depth knowledge and professionalism she is able to challenge myths using facts and data, ensuring that these issues are problem solved from the root cause so they do not spread a toxic culture throughout the organisation. She is not fazed by cultural norms, and brings key topics to the table which are often seen as taboo, to key decision makers so that their understanding of inclusion and diversity is real, and is what is felt and discussed by employees across the organisation. She is not afraid to tackle the hard issues, she does not simply reach for the easy tick box options, but looks to discuss the key topics as they are, not in a rose tinted view, to those who are maybe disconnected from our front line and our communities. This in essence creates a true feel for change, a true feel of inclusion, and a place where people who are open to listening and learning. Her “business as usual” approach makes I&D everybody’s business and it holds every one to account. She expects more form every one, and provides an organisational consistency from all who work and utilise us as a department- and for those who do not approach us, she will approach them and ask them to justify their current work surrounding inclusion and diversity. Karen’s leadership makes I&D long term, creates a legacy for her work, and creates an organisational buy in which supports long term, equitable and sustainable change.
Karen joined BTP after having retired from a 30 year career in Policing and became the Head of Strategic I&D. She quickly implemented a Programme Management approach providing rigid governance and structures to ensure I&D is embedded into business as usual and that the business is held accountable for getting it done. She quickly identified that the Positive Action Recruitment Team was not being utilised correctly and ensured that this team was moved under our remit so that Positive Action was a real focus for BTP. Karen was responsible for setting up this department and hiring all members within, hosting the recruitment process herself before even srating the role and identified a range of skill sets within the candidates from those with a wide set of backgrounds including talent management, operational and tactical policing as well as public education. Our team is nationally diverse spanning 3 different countries in the UK and Karen has ensured inclusivity in our department for all. Inclusivity is at the heart of Karen’s management and leadership. She consistently identifies opportunities for development and collaboration within the team to break down silo working but also to encourage our skillsets and qualifications to grow as well as our CPD.
Karen has a diverse portfolio to support the strategic implementation for and this not only includes internal procedures, practices and cultures but also to increase trust and legitimacy with the general public. As we are the Guardians of the Railway and are a nationally diverse police force, the public we encounter are extremely transient in their locations and Karen has built the Race Action Plan and Positive Action Plan around a very difficult and sometimes non-existent or evolving data set and information which means she has had to constantly horizon scan and actively work to analyse any risks or threats throughout the entirety of our work. Karen has a great blend of proactive and reactive work. She anticipates the needs of our workforce and the employees within People and Culture, where our department resides, but also is happy to think quick and identify mitigation to problems as they arise. Most importantly, she values those in her department and the ideas, opinions and viewpoints they bring. No one is afraid to speak their mind and to give an opinion as Karen has created this safe space. A safe space she is working on replicating with other department leads by providing support, coaching and learning for them. Karen is also a trailblazer in the force for ensuring inclusive working practices and what flexible working truly means. She has provided us with an excellent work life balance, taking into account our personal needs such as caring responsibilities and neurodivergent requirements. I am not afraid to say “I need to take a few hours” or “I need help with this, I don’t understand” or “my child is sick today, can I work flexibly or make up the time another day?”.
She has been a key driver in setting up the forces Inclusion and Diversity 5 year strategy, bring all the department into this piece of work so we have clear ownership and input, rather than having actions dictated to us. We have been given great autonomy and trust in our work to decide and deliver our programmes with Karen picking up to support where we need it. One key area we are focussing on across our portfolios is our recruitment and onboarding strategy to increase diversity in the workforce. Currently our figures sit at around 70% white male in the force, so our key priorities have been to develop positive action for gender and ethnic minority to increase diversity but also to create inclusive cultures and practices to support those persons once they are in employment. Karen has supported us with this initiative by guiding through best practice as well as the legalities surrounding positive action in the Equality Act 2010 to ensure we are legally compliant in all our practices. We are currently dismantling current practices in recruitment and replacing them with an inclusive and accessible “business as usual” approach.
Karen has also invested her time in creating a centralised, national stakeholder steering group in the force which meets regularly where key department heads are held to account for the I&D work they are currently undertaking in their workstreams to support equitable inclusivity but also how these persons support the wider work of the I&D team. Karen has also complimented this work but requesting the addition of an hour, once a month to focus on a specific I&D topic with our Force Executive Board which has been met with tremendous success. The focus and aims of this work is to deliver I&D topics and potentially training to our highest ranking officials in the force so that they can review their own workstreams and role responsibilities to support movement of our work and also to bring about accountability to the force for I&D because I&D very much has to be imbedded at it’s most senior level for it to become sustainable and to add real value. In conjunction with this she has also tasked the high ranking officials to become a senior sponsor or champion for any one of the I&D teams workstreams with each manager in the department having access to this high ranking official to support their work.
On a personal note as well, Karen has experienced tremendous loss this year and she has turned this loss into action surrounding I&D and wellbeing by offering to speak visibly of her lived experience of loss and suicide of her son Joe and how mental health for our employees is paramount in the work we do. Furthermore she was recently diagnosed with Cancer and one of her first actions has been to offer setting up a support group for others going through the same in the organisation. She is really to be commended for this and for her turning this event in her life into something that can add learning value and wellbeing support to the workforce. It is testament to the person she is that her key priority when she got back to work was to provide inclusivity, safety and support for others. Karen is a real inspiration to me and the rest of the team and these words are attribute from all of us.
